Lawyers Without Paper: Global IP Law and the Importance of the Cloud

An intellectual property practice knows no geographic or political boundaries. My own practice, Advitam IP, LLC, has a network of top law firms in over 120 countries to call upon, and who call upon us.

While many concepts related to trademarks, patents, or copyrights might be similar everywhere, there are political issues, procedural issues, bureaucratic issues, customs issues, and more that must be accounted for. To maintain these networks and to stay current with changes in practice and law in nations all over the world, my partner, Michele, and I, attend world-wide conferences year-round. IP law has its own world – a big world that is often evolving faster than most local practices will ever experience – and we find these conferences are the most effective way to stay up to date.

We have found ourselves embracing all the 21st century has to offer to operate our law firm seamlessly, no matter where we find ourselves each week. By embracing software and cloud technologies, we are now 99% paper free. (Imagine that – lawyers without paper! Can it be?) This embrace of technology has done double duty. Not only are we able to attend international conferences while addressing our practice’s daily needs but being paperless has also minimized our need for office space, which allows us to reduce costs, so our clients pay less no matter how large our firm grows.

We recognize that while traditional values of hard work, diligence, commitment to clients’ needs and goals, and service to community are imperatives in the practice of law, so, too, is the need to stay on the forefront of change in the practice and delivery of legal services in the rapidly advancing technological world.

Our clients are often at the forefront of this technological world. They need us to provide custom solutions, and to be a trusted partner and advisor to protect their intellectual property assets. And they expect us to be able to respond quickly and knowledgeably. We strive to continue to fulfill their expectations.

Richard Gurak

Four years after their prior firm, Welsh & Katz, merged with a larger firm, Richard and his partner Michele Katz decided to satisfy their entrepreneurial aspiration. Combining their 40+ years of international intellectual property experience they formed Advitam IP, LLC.

“Advitam” is a Latin word meaning “for life,” akin to the word “tenure.” Richard and Michele say that the name was chosen to exemplify the best traditional practices of law but blended with modern technologies to benefit their clients.

Advitam IP now has 8 eight attorneys assisting firm clients and an overall support team of fifteen. The firm is still growing. They love what they do, and they love helping clients. For life.